Bala (Mehedinți County): population and statistics
Bala has a population of 3,341 (2026) across 114.5 km², or 29.2 people per km². It ranks 1,371 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −12.5% between 2016 and 2026.
- 3,341 residents
- 114.5 km²
- 29 people/km²
Key points
Among the 66 localities in Mehedinți County, Bala ranks No. 12 by population.
Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant: 11.6 nights in Bala, compared with an average of 1.3 nights in Mehedinți County and 2.0 nights nationally.
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants: 60 ‰ in Bala, compared with an average of 136 ‰ in Mehedinți County and 163 ‰ nationally.
Bala: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (29 businesses).
Bala in numbers
Where is Bala?
Population of Bala over time
Bala had 3,818 residents in 2016 and 3,341 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,520 |
| 2022 | 3,439 |
| 2023 | 3,402 |
| 2024 | 3,354 |
| 2025 | 3,345 |
| 2026 | 3,341 |
Did you know?
- “Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant”: higher than in 96% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 16,041 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.1 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest locality is Șovarna, 6.8 km away.
- The nearest more populous locality is Baia de Aramă (5,228 residents), 12 km away.
All indicators for Bala
Value for the locality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the locality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Bala | Mehedinți County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 22.7 ‰ | 16.1 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 593 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.1 ‰ | 20.4 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 1,615 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.3 ‰ | 5.5 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 1,881 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 14.1 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 1,275 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Bala | Mehedinți County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.89 km | 5.91 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,273 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.90 ‰ | 1.65 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 1,740 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 2,095 | 144,589 | 10,177,161 | ranked 868 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 627.1 ‰ | 552.7 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 488 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 55.7 m² | 48.6 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 981 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.80 ‰ | 1.37 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 709 of 1,926 |
Economy
| Indicator | Bala | Mehedinți County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 20.1 ‰ | 34.8 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 2,415 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 0.90 ‰ | 1.95 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 2,632 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Bala | Mehedinți County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 56 ‰ | 179 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 2,003 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 5.4% | 4.5% | 2.3% | ranked 620 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Bala | Mehedinți County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 11.6 nights | 1.3 | 0.4 | ranked 49 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1,146 ‰ | 669 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 201 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 67.9 ‰ | 23.4 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 167 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Bala | Mehedinți County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 11.1 m³ | 36.7 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 2,317 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.41 km | 2.90 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,461 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Bala | Mehedinți County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.20 ‰ | 2.12 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 390 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.30 ‰ | 0.58 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 2,311 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.30 ‰ | 0.75 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 1,696 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Bala | Mehedinți County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 60 ‰ | 136 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 2,753 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.0 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,916 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Bala
Active businesses in the business register with a recorded activity, by section and by activity (NACE Rev. 2). Only activities with at least 3 businesses are shown.
By industry section
- Wholesale and retail trade36 · 26.5%
- Transport and storage24 · 17.6%
- Administrative and support services15 · 11.0%
- Construction11 · 8.1%
- Accommodation and food services11 · 8.1%
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing10 · 7.4%
- Manufacturing10 · 7.4%
- Health and social work5 · 3.7%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)29 · 21.3%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines24 · 17.6%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)22 · 16.2%
- Warehousing and transport support activities14 · 10.3%
- Specialised construction activities11 · 8.1%
- Food and beverage service activities10 · 7.4%
- Forestry and logging9 · 6.6%
- Office administration and business support activities8 · 5.9%
- Construction of buildings7 · 5.1%
- Manufacture of food products5 · 3.7%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bala?
Bala has 3,341 residents (2026), ranking 1,371 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Bala?
Bala covers 114.5 km², with a density of 29 people per km².
Is the population of Bala growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Bala went from 3,818 to 3,341, a change of −12.5%.
Where is Bala?
Bala is in Mehedinți County. Latitude 44.896, longitude 22.796.
Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant: what is the figure for Bala?
In Bala, “Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant” stands at 11.6 nights (2025), ranking 49 of 1,250 localities; the national median is 0.4 nights.
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Bala?
In Bala, “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 60 ‰ (2025), ranking 2,753 of 3,158 localities; the national median is 91 ‰.
Which localities border Bala?
The nearest to Bala are Șovarna (6.8 km), Ponoarele (8.3 km), Ilovăț (8.6 km), Glogova (9.4 km), Balta (10 km).